Take-home test for Randy Brock

Oct. 5, 2012

Written by

Free Press Staff Writer

Burlington Free Press: Would you endorse plans to decommission Vermont Yankee and replace it with a new, modern — and presumably safer — model?

Randy Brock: Yes, however that will take time. In the meantime, the current plant can produce safe, affordable electricity for many more years, and there is no need to heap extra cost on Vermont electric customers.

What I will do is ask the plant’s owners to come to Vermont to meet with me as soon as I am elected. Their stewardship of Vermont Yankee has not been up to my or Vermonters’ standards, and I believe it can be improved with the kind of face-to-face diplomacy that businessmen like me have utilized many times before in similarly challenging situations.

I will continue to support a mixture of hydro, nuclear, natural gas and biomass energy. However, all renewable energy must be cost-effective to the Vermont consumer.

BFP: What limits, if any, should Vermonters place on the environmental impacts that would accompany the deployment of F-35 fighters at Burlington International Airport?

RB: I think we need to be careful to stay in our area of expertise. As the new fighters are rolled out, more data will become available for us to evaluate, along with the evaluations done by the military. From what I have read, it appears the noise levels are fairly similar to what we experience with the F-16.

During my military service in Vietnam, I was in close proximity to many military aircraft. None of them were quiet, because any sort of muffler degrades performance. In addition, I think we need to be mindful of the national security function which the F-35s perform for us 24/7, and the hundreds of good-paying jobs that depend on the continued active service of the (Vermont Air National Guard) in defense of our country.

BFP: What constraints, if any, should be placed on ridgetop, industrial wind development?

RB: Until we thoroughly study the potential environmental damage caused by large-scale, industrial wind development, my administration will demand a moratorium on it.

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BFP: In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, and in anticipation of more frequent “extreme storm events” in Vermont, how should the next governor work to avoid flood damage in our valleys?

RB: We need to continue to make sure that our towns have plans that reflect the lessons learned from Tropical Storm Irene. There is no one-size-fits-all plan — each town will have to go building by building and site by site to make sure that as they rebuild infrastructure and buildings that they have maximized the opportunity to avoid damage from future flooding.

BFP: How important is it that Vermont become energy-independent? Food-independent?

RB: I’m committed to Vermont energy sources that provide low-cost, reliable power that are cost-effective to produce and don’t require sustainable government tax credits.

Food independence? I don’t believe this is a role of government. However, I support Vermont’s farm-to-plate programs and believe the future of Vermont food has the potential to provide a great opportunity for entrepreneurs and farmers who innovate and invest in these emerging businesses.

BFP: What promising new directions — if any — do you see for Vermont agriculture?

RB: The Vermont brand is second to none. We need to invest and expand this brand so that the Vermont farmer can earn more from the products they are producing.

BFP: What non-native invasive species, if any, in Vermont (animal or plant) concerns you the most?

RB: Eurasian water milfoil. This non-native plant is present in nearly 60 bodies of water in Vermont.